SA unsure on Quinton de Kock's T20I future: 'We have a glimmer of hope that sits in the background'

Quinton de Kock retired from Test cricket in 2021 and from ODIs following last year's World Cup. However, he has not yet made an official announcement regarding his continuation in international T20s. South Africa’s T20 coach Rob Walter still holds a “slight” hope that de Kock might continue playing in this format.

It was speculated that the 31-year-old South African wicketkeeper-batsman would retire from T20s after this year's T20 World Cup. However, since no such announcement has been made yet, Rob Walter remains hopeful that de Kock will continue to play in this format.

“Quinny (de Kock) is a tough one to figure out. He hasn’t officially said goodbye yet. There is a slight hope for us,” said Rob Walter, the South African coach.

Quinton de Kock, who has had a colorful career, is still in pursuit of a trophy. South Africa came very close in this year's T20 World Cup but fell short in the final against India, losing by 7 runs.

Commenting on the final and de Kock, Rob Walter said, “Quinny maintains a high standard and has long dreamed of winning a World Cup. He played many innings, not just in the final. As you might have seen, he was quite emotional. Whether we see him again or not, only time will tell.”

Coach Walter, upon returning to South Africa on Thursday, expressed that de Kock still has a lot to offer to the national team in this format. He said, “Quinny’s situation is mysterious. He hasn’t officially said anything. So there is a glimmer of hope for us. Quinny has high standards for himself and has long dreamed of winning a World Cup. Whether we see him again or not, only time will tell.”

In this year's World Cup, Quinton de Kock was South Africa's highest run-scorer. He scored 243 runs in 9 matches at a strike rate of 140.46, including two fifties.